MANAGER Michael Flynn says Newport County AFC are about to enter the “final trimester” of the season and he’s still hoping his side can deliver at the end of the campaign.

Flynn’s men can fully concentrate on League Two following Wednesday’s Leasing.com Trophy semi-final defeat to Salford City and he says he won’t let the season fade away.

With 15 games still to go and 45 points to play for, County are 16th in the table – 12 points behind seventh-placed Colchester United with three games in hand.

Flynn admitted after last week’s defeat at Mansfield Town that the play-offs looked a long way off, but he’s not prepared to write off the season.

“I’ve got a few children and it’s like we’re into the final trimester of the season now and it’s where the sun comes out and you can start looking towards the end of it,” said the Exiles boss.

“But we’ve got to finish on a positive.

“This season won’t fade out; I won’t let it fade out.

“The players are under no illusions and, to be fair to them, not one of them wants that to happen.

“They want to get back to that good feeling of winning games and I’m sure that will come sooner rather than later.”

Flynn revealed that he spoke to every player in the squad ahead of tomorrow’s home clash with Bradford City.

“I spoke to every single player – the injured players, the loan players, the young players – and I told them what it means to play for this football club,” he said.

“And the feedback and the reaction from them was second to none.

“I didn’t doubt that for a second, if I’m honest, but they know that we’re all in it together. And that includes the fans as well.

“On the whole, they’ve supported us through thick and thin.

“There have been times where we have let them down. I’ll be the first to admit that and say sorry to them.

“But we have got an opportunity now to move forward.

“We’ve got a lot of games in a small period of time – I think we’ve got one free [mid]week now – and it’s going to be backs against the wall.

“Let’s get ready to go on a bit of a run.”

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And Flynn is adamant that the way players end this season will have a big bearing on his plans for the next campaign.

“I talk to the board regularly about our plans moving forward and we’ll have a board meeting next week where we’ll go through our plans,” he said.

“We’re in a good place off the field at the moment. We’ve put plans in place to move the club forward and that’s what we’ll try to do.

“You want to be successful and to improve. The injuries have killed us this season – I’ve never known anything like it.

“But the players want to show that they’re worthy of playing for this football club and they’ll do that by getting results.

“People might have contracts [for next season] but we’ve shown that we’re not afraid to move people on, or reward people.”

Goalkeeper Nick Townsend (calf), right-backs Ashley Baker (groin) and Dan Leadbitter (hamstring) and centre-back Mark O’Brien (medial knee ligament) remain sidelined this weekend.

But Otis Khan, Billy Waters and Dale Gorman are available again after being cup-tied in midweek and George Nurse is also close to a return from injury.

“There are one or two struggling but Ryan Haynes was just cramp [on Wednesday] so he’s OK, which is a relief,” said Flynn.

“Robbie [Willmott] had to come off with cramp as well and he’s fine.

“I think it shows that the pitch is taking its toll. It did last season as well around about this time. But it’s something we need to get on with.”

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